"When you travel well, the most important journey is the one that goes inward, no matter the outward destination." -Eric Howell

What is this?

This is a pilgrimage to Rome, Italy. Our primary purpose will be to explore sites and artifacts that have a connection to the Christian scriptures, read relevant biblical passages, and talk together about the connection to our faith (for example, we will visit the Roman Forum where Roman triumphal processions took place, and compare this with Paul's account of Christ's triumphal procession in 2 Cor 2:14-16). Our secondary purpose will be to visit some sites that have a connection to church history.

Though we will be seeing many exciting things, this is NOT strictly a sightseeing tour. This will very much be a pilgrimage, focused on connecting you to God in a deeper way. Additionally, there will be some communal aspects as we share meals together, cook some breakfasts and dinners together, etc.

When is this?

Precise dates will be determined based on the availability of participants, but the pilgrimage will likely be in early April 2018 for 7 to 9 days.

Who is this for?

Anyone who wants to take the opportunity to explore the scriptures and deepen their faith is welcome to apply!

Participants should be willing to be respectful and open-minded when visiting Roman Catholic churches.

Participants should be physically able to travel to Rome by plane (probably 2 flights with about 13 hours of total travel time).

Participants should be able to engage in a reasonably full day of standing, walking, and traveling by bus or subway in Rome.

Due to the nature of the trip only 10 people can be accommodated. If there are more than 10 people who want to attend:

Preference will be given to members of Forest Hills before non-members.

Preference will be given to members who are active in teaching or church leadership. The goal is that this pilgrimage will deepen your connection to the scriptures, and make you a more passionate teacher when you are back home—thereby multiplying the impact of this pilgrimage to positively affect even more people.

Who is leading this?

Andrew Garnett (andrew@foresthills.org) is planning and facilitating this trip. Andrew will help us explore some sites, and at other sites we will utilize local guides.

How much will this cost?

Airfare is by far the largest expense and will vary considerably based on our travel dates. The cost will probably be between $1,300 to $2,000 per person (this would include airfare, lodging, travel insurance, local transportation, admission to all sites, and about half of all meals).

What do I do if I am interested?

If you're interested, you must do two things:

Fill out the form at the bottom of this page. By filling out the form, you are NOT committing to attend, and you are NOT reserving your spot. You're simply expressing your interest in learning more.

Attend an interest meeting. Everyone with a desire to attend must attend a meeting before they will be allowed to register.

Interested in going?

By filling out the form, you are NOT committing to attend or reserving your spot; you are simply telling us that you'd like to know more.

Name *

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email Address *

Phone

Phone

(###)

###

####

Have you traveled outside of the United States before? *

Yes

No

When can you attend an interest meeting? *

Check all that apply. Anyone interested in traveling on the pilgrimage MUST attend an interest meeting at some point.

Wed, Aug 30, 6:30 PM

Sun, Sept 3, 12:30 PM

I need another day/time

Approximately during which time could you LEAVE on a pilgrimage of 7-9 days?

Check all that apply. Again, this is NOT a commitment or guarantee to travel; this is purely a gauge of interest and availability.